Guard Says They Stole a Plastic Cup

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Today is National Coming Out Day. But at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, a recent Sunday was Kicking Out Day for one lesbian couple.

Nicole Marchetto and Mary Kate Morris bought some beer and fries during halftime while waiting for a long bathroom line to dissipate. While the couple waited for their order, the Washington Blade reports, the couple "engaged in what Marchetto characterized as 'casual kissing'." A security guard and supervisor told them to stop.

Since, as Marchetto put it, "numerous law-abiding straight couples" were doing the same thing, they ignored the order. "Straight couples were kissing all around us," Morris said, and no one was objecting. "As a matter of fact, some fans were not only approving but cheered us."

But after a third warning, the guard "demanded to see their driver's licenses, and then the women were told to leave the stadium immediately," according to the Blade.

The couple, of course, asked why.

The guard then said the women had stolen a plastic cup. They had taken a cup to use for ketchup for their fries, without incident. The guard then said they had stolen the beer. The Blade writes, "A Baltimore police officer intervened and told the guards the couple did not steal the beer. The couple has receipts for all the purchases. Nonetheless, they were forced out of the stadium by three police officers."

The Maryland Stadium Authority and the Baltimore Ravens are siding with the security guard.

Stadium authority spokesperson Jan Hardesty told the Blade that the women were tossed out for "unauthorized removal of inventory." Hardesty said a concession stand employee saw the purloining of the plastic cup. But there’s no evidence that the concession worker objected at the time.

"We’re aware of the incident, and we’re satisfied with the action taken by the concessionaire, security, and police," said Kevin Byrne, the Ravens' Senior Vice President of Public and Community Relations.